Delorean 35mph crash test video released by the Delorean Musuem.

[Chris Burns]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7JRssdPlXc&feature=related

Oh, and here is the 40mph one.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJs9QlIQ8xE&feature=g-all-u&context=G24a1526FAAAAAAAAAAA

[pezzonovante88]

So... Basically, DON"T crash a DeLorean head-on!

[Ikeaboy1]

I'm glad I don't have to worry about Lucas electrics being wired to an airbag.

[ccurzio]

So... Basically, DON"T crash a DeLorean head-on!

I'd say that goes for any vehicle, really. Definitely not unique to DeLoreans.

[thirdmanj]

I think a portion of these videos have been on YouTube for some time now. If I remember right, those videos are a bit misleading in the fact that the damage looks more severe than it really is. The car collapsed as designed, significantly slowing the passengers down on impact. I could be off on that, but anyway, how 'bout them airbags huh?

[Chris Burns]

Quote from DMC on the videos:

DMC had planned to use airbags, but that's NOT what this video or the accompanying documentation - http://www.delorean.net/​crashtest.pdf - represents in any way. This was a completely unrelated test by the NHTSA, and they used two very early production cars simply because they were donated by DMC to the NHTSA for testing in this manner.

Also these are documents from the testing: PDF File. Even though the 40 mph looks really awful they said it was survivable.

http://www.delorean.net/crashtest.pdf

[Jimmyvonviggle]

Wow that dummy's head goes back far. Someone's going to be sore in the morning.

[awildermode]

The thought about putting on those side stripes crossed my mind.

[Citizen]

I wonder what the VINs are of those two cars that were crashed. I'd like to add them to the crashed/totaled list.

...

[vwdmc16]

Ive never seen these long versions with more angles. Now I always hated watching the 40mph one and I made myself feel better by telling myself that it crushed so much because it must be a prototype like car without the back bone frame (even though its the Ital design update) but this obviously shows the frame in the under car shot. disturbing!


4mph couldn't possibly make that much of a difference. There has to be a reason for the 40mph being so much worse.

[Chris Burns]

DMC said that none of the dummies were wearing seat belts during those tests and the tests were for the airbags mainly.

[dmc6960]

The lack of door windows may have attributed to the folding which took place on the door roofs. If the windows were there it would have provided some tension on the top which may have *slightly* slowed down the bowing process. Might not make much of a difference today because on many cars I'm sure the adhesive has lost a lot of its original attributes. My door windows leak water at the top seal, when open in rain or in a water spray.

[sean]

The DeLorean Museum just posted the video and accompanying report here:
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?3404-Original-NHTSA-first-generation-Crash-Test-videos&p=47590#post47590

[ed209]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but having reviewed the crash test videos and studied the attached pdf report, I have a question or two.

In the crash test analysis, they report considerable success in all areas. All components of the airbag mechanism transferred well into the DeLorean and actually worked, and although the crash looks dramatic and the occupants sustain reasonable injury, the crash at both speeds is decidedly survivable by a safe margin (as determined by the test administrators). Note that the passengers were not wearing seatbelts; presumably, if they were wearing them, injury would be minimized even further, and the car would be that much safer.

Does anyone know why nothing seems to have come out of this test? Why it wasn't followed up or anything? The components for the airbag mechanism are all listed in the analysis and their installation is somewhat described. How come no one has duplicated this set up if it worked so well?

[ccurzio]

Cost, most likely. Airbag installation is tremendously expensive and NOT something you'd want to rig up as a DIY project.

That's why airbag deployment will in many cases completely total out a car from an insurance perspective.

[Dangermouse]

Also, the last thing DeLorean needed to do to the car in late 1981 was add even more cost to the car for something that wasn't legally required (the cars days as being marketed as Safety Vehicles were behind them and they were struggling to survive.)

Plus, (legally) importing small explosive devices to Belfast in 1981 wasn't easy.

[ed209]

That's understandable.

What about these days? Today's DMC claims (or at least heavily implies everywhere) that the DMC-EV is a truly new car and not just a "New Build" assembly of mostly unused parts. How are they going to accomplish that with today's required safety features? Or are they just going to exploit the VIN loophole that they do for the New Builds?